Iceland travel guide (Europe)

Iceland is an island state of volcanic origin in the North Atlantic. The Republic of Iceland is also the second largest island state in Europe and the largest volcanic island in the world. The "land of gushing geysers" as the island is also sometimes called, thrills visitors with its contrasting scenery and mysterious charm. The country narrowly escaped bankruptcy and offers the tourist low prices and an opportunity for a cheap holiday. This has helped the tourist industry and resulted in record-breaking figures in this sector.

Geography. There are still many glaciers in Iceland dating from the ice age, the largest of these being Vatnajökull. This glacier has the greatest volume of ice in Europe with an ice cap up to 900 m thick. There are also plenty of waterfalls on the island, including the Dettifoss. The Icelandic highlands are in the centre of the island, forming the periglacial desert, which is uninhabited. Reaching a total height of 2110 m, the Hvannadalshnúkur is the highest point on the island.

Iceland is divided into several regions: these include Reykjanes in the far southwest with Keflavik airport and the Blue Lagoon, Myvatn, a shallow lake best known for its birdlife and midges, and highlands including the three famous peaks Kaldidalur, Kjölur and Sprengisandur.

Climate. Iceland’s climate is oceanic and cool with a relatively warm Irmingerstrom on the south coast of Greenland and the cold stream on the north and north west coast.

Sights: Many activity holidays are offered on Iceland including hiking, glacier tours and climbing volcanoes. These usually begin in Reykjavik or Akureyri. Many tourists also visit the island to see the Icelandic horse, a local horse breed.

Travel. The international airport is located about 50 km from Reykjavik. Currently flights from Reykjavik are operated by Icelandair, the national airline, for example to London Heathrow, Manchester or Glasgow. daily connections also operated via Copenhagen for example. Iceland is also served by Lufthansa and Scandinavian Airlines. One of the low-cost airlines connecting Reykjavik with the UK is Iceland Express which operates flights to Stansted and Gatwick. There is also a ferry service to Iceland from Norway, Denmark and Germany.

Capital. Reykjavik is the largest city in Iceland, and also the most northerly city in Western Europe. Reykjavik is also the location of the most universities in the country, as well as other institutes of higher education, theatres, museums, cultural institutions and a harbour. In the middle of the city there is a lake which is also the largest breeding ground for water birds in the southwest of the country. As Iceland is situated on a ridge of two tectonic plates it is frequently plagues by earthquakes, most of them without any serious consequences. Sights in Reykjavik are the National Museum, the National Gallery (Listasafn), Ásmundarsafn with the works of the sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), the open-air museum and the cathedral and university. The Hallgrímskirkja is one of the tallest buildings in the city. With its tower (73 m), the church is a landmark in Reykjavik. The National Park Thingvellir, including traditional meeting place of the Althing, has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. There is a domestic airport near the lake Tjörnin.

Other cities worth visiting are Akureyri, Egilsstadir (Egilsstaðir) Hofn (Höfn) Hellissandur, Isafjordur, Thorshofn, Vopnafjordur and Keflavik with the important airport and U.S. (NATO) military base.